This followed an earlier statement from the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who promised a timetable for addressing child sexual exploitation (CSE) and broader systemic reform.
The IICSA's report made 20 core recommendations, many of which extend well beyond CSE. While previous governments watered down many recommendations from the IICSA, recent developments suggest a renewed focus on safeguarding. In particular, the renewed public and media interest in this issue has helped to bring long-overdue attention to the structural changes that are still needed. Here are my three key action points for sector professionals.
1. Mandatory reporting: a missed opportunity?
One of IICSA's central recommendations – the introduction of mandatory reporting – has now been partially realised in the draft Crime and Policing Bill. But while this may appear a positive step, the proposed legislation falls short of the standard that survivors and safeguarding professionals had wanted. The current draft does not impose criminal sanctions for failing to report abuse. Instead, it offers a weaker deterrent: a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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